Kimi Antonelli has outlined his goal to ensure his positive
Azerbaijan Grand Prix performance was not a one-off. The Mercedes
driver entered the Baku weekend under pressure after enduring a
nightmare European leg of the campaign. Antonelli was frequently a
non-scorer during the European rounds, which led to heavy scrutiny
over his performance during his rookie season. After a
disappointing Italian Grand Prix earlier this month, Mercedes team
principal Toto Wolff labelled the outing as “underwhelming”.
Antonelli bounced back with a strong showing in Baku, crossing the
line in fourth place. The 19-year-old voiced satisfaction with
enjoying an error-free outing around the challenging Azerbaijan
track. Reflecting on his difficult period, speaking to the media,
including RacingNews365, Antonelli said: “It was not even a
discussion, it was pretty poor. “This track is quite a bit more
difficult. There was no margin for error, and it was very intense.
“The pace was very high, and driving-wise, I did make a couple of
mistakes. But it's also fair to say it was the first time in Baku
with an F1 [car]. “Also, we didn't do any long run in practice, so
it was a bit of a discovery – of course, for everyone [else] as
well. “Still, I feel much better than the race at Monza.”
Antonelli has not yet been confirmed at Mercedes next year, nor has
team-mate George Russell – however, it is widely expected that both
drivers will remain at the Brackley-based squad. As he seeks to
change the tone of his rookie campaign, Antonelli has tasked
himself with finding a consistent run of strong pace until the end
of the year. “It was a difficult period, the European season,” he
said. “After all the criticism and difficult moments, we managed to
achieve a good result. And now the important thing is to do this
consistently."
Azerbaijan Grand Prix performance was not a one-off. The Mercedes
driver entered the Baku weekend under pressure after enduring a
nightmare European leg of the campaign. Antonelli was frequently a
non-scorer during the European rounds, which led to heavy scrutiny
over his performance during his rookie season. After a
disappointing Italian Grand Prix earlier this month, Mercedes team
principal Toto Wolff labelled the outing as “underwhelming”.
Antonelli bounced back with a strong showing in Baku, crossing the
line in fourth place. The 19-year-old voiced satisfaction with
enjoying an error-free outing around the challenging Azerbaijan
track. Reflecting on his difficult period, speaking to the media,
including RacingNews365, Antonelli said: “It was not even a
discussion, it was pretty poor. “This track is quite a bit more
difficult. There was no margin for error, and it was very intense.
“The pace was very high, and driving-wise, I did make a couple of
mistakes. But it's also fair to say it was the first time in Baku
with an F1 [car]. “Also, we didn't do any long run in practice, so
it was a bit of a discovery – of course, for everyone [else] as
well. “Still, I feel much better than the race at Monza.”
Antonelli has not yet been confirmed at Mercedes next year, nor has
team-mate George Russell – however, it is widely expected that both
drivers will remain at the Brackley-based squad. As he seeks to
change the tone of his rookie campaign, Antonelli has tasked
himself with finding a consistent run of strong pace until the end
of the year. “It was a difficult period, the European season,” he
said. “After all the criticism and difficult moments, we managed to
achieve a good result. And now the important thing is to do this
consistently."
The post Kimi Antonelli sets fresh target after stern F1 'criticism' appeared first on RacingNews365.